Energy conservation tips

[annie]

How to conserve energy for Computers

Turn off your home office equipment when not in use. A computer that runs 24 hours a day, for instance, uses – more power than an energy-efficient refrigerator.

If your computer must be left on, turn off the monitor; this device alone uses more than half the system’s energy.

Setting computers, monitors, and copiers to use sleep-mode when not in use helps cut energy costs by approximately 40%.

Battery chargers, such as those for laptops, cell phones and digital cameras, draw power whenever they are plugged in and are very inefficient. Pull the plug and save.

Screen savers save computer screens, not energy. Start-ups and shutdowns do not use any extra energy, nor are they hard on your computer components. In fact, shutting computers down when you are finished using them actually reduces system wear – and saves energy

[annie]

How to conserve energy for Refrigerators

Make sure that refrigerator is kept away from all sources of heat, including direct sunlight, radiators and appliances such as the oven, and cooking range. When it’s dark, place a lit flashlight inside the refrigerator and close the door. If light around the door is seen, the seals need to be replaced.

Refrigerator motors and compressors generate heat, so allow enough space for continuous airflow around refrigerator. If the heat can’t escape, the refrigerator’s cooling system will work harder and use more energy.

A full refrigerator is a fine thing, but be sure to allow adequate air circulation inside.

Think about what you need before opening refrigerator door. You’ll reduce the amount of time the door remains open.
Allow hot and warm foods to cool and cover them well before putting them in refrigerator. Refrigerator will use less energy and condensation will reduced.

Make sure that refrigerator’s rubber door seals are clean and tight. They should hold a slip of paper snugly. If paper slips out easily, replace the door seals.

When dust builds up on refrigerator’s condenser coils, the motor works harder and uses more electricity. Clean the coils regularly to make sure that air can circulate freely.

For manual defrost refrigerator, accumulation of ice reduces the cooling power by acting as unwanted insulation. Defrost freezer compartment regularly for a manual defrost refrigerator.

[annie]

How to conserve energy for Lighting Systems


One of the best energy-saving devices is the light switch. Turn off lights when not required.

Many automatic devices can help in saving energy used in lighting. Consider employing infrared sensors, motion sensors, automatic timers, dimmers and solar cells wherever applicable, to switch on/off lighting circuits.

As for as possible use task lighting, which focuses light where it’s needed. A reading lamp, for example, lights only reading material rather than the whole room.

Dirty tube lights and bulbs reflect less light and can absorb 50 percent of the light; dust your tube lights and lamps regularly.

Fluorescent tube lights and CFLs convert electricity to visible light up to 5 times more efficiently than ordinary bulbs and thus save about 70% of electricity for the same lighting levels.

Ninety percent of the energy consumed by an ordinary bulb (incandescent lamp) is given off as heat rather than visible light.

Replace your electricity-guzzling ordinary bulbs (incandescent lamps) with more efficient types. Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) use up to 75 percent less electricity than incandescent lamps.

A 15-watt compact fluorescent bulb produces the same amount of light as a 60-watt incandescent bulb.